Cruisin' Down Mainstreet (Durand Auto Dealers: A Bygone Era)

The Pepin County Historical Society will present ?Cruisin? Down Main Street? at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 9 in the cafeteria of the middle/high school in Durand. A panel of local experts will discuss the history of automobile dealerships in Durand. Following the panel discussion, an informal antique and classic car show will be held in the high school parking lot. Small town automobile dealerships were a 20th century phenomenon and, in the 1950?s and 60?s, the city of Durand had five car dealerships in a two-block area of downtown. Representatives from at least three of those dealerships, Dave McMahon, Carl Polzer and Roger Bauer, will share the histories and memories of their families? businesses. Most major car-makers (Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, Buick, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Packard, etc.) had dealerships in Durand. By the end of the century, nearly all of them had closed their doors. Following the formal panel presentation, a small, informal antique and classic car show will be held in the Durand High School parking lot. Autos from 1920-1970 will be on display.